This blog is dedicated to the Star of David, its history, its various meanings and usages in different cultures. It includes thousands of pictures of Star of David, six-pointed stars, hexagrams, Solomon's Seals, Magen Davids and yellow badges,and served as a resource for three books and four art exhibitions.

Monday, December 31, 2007

Haifa designer Hayim Shtayer shot this Magen David photo of a JNF sticker, and the sticker is part of his collection. The sticker was issued to celebrate 30 years of Israeli Independence. I liked the top triangle with the ridges to the horizon – very original!

Haifa designer Hayim Shtayer shot this photo of a blue on white Star of David on a“Let My People Go” sticker, and the sticker is part of his collection. It was used during the successful campaign for letting Soviet Jewry immigrate to Israel after Six Days War.

Haifa designer Hayim Shtayer shot this photo of pale green Stars of David inside the Hebrew letter Shin on an election sticker with the words: “This time a Government with Shinuy”. The sticker is part of his collection. Election times are prone to excessive usage of our national emblem, as well as Independence Day, and it is pushed to every groove, even if it is not a must.

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Haifa designer Hayim Shtayer shot this photo of a JNF sticker with the slogan: “I live in Israel -Why Don’t You?” and the sticker is part of his collection. The design is based on the Israeli flag, which is a separate symbol that justifies a separate blog dedicated to it, but since the Star of David in not in its center, I made my own rules flexible.

Haifa designer Hayim Shtayer shot this photo of a blue Star of David with a red Soviet Union star on a“Let My People Go” sticker. The sticker is part of his collection. It was used during the successful campaign to let Soviet Jewry immigrate to Israel after Six Days War.

The graphic design is fascinating: the transition from suppression to freedom is expressed by adding one point to the five-pointed Soviet Union star and by changing its color from red into blue. The transition is represented by the red arrow that prolongs the Hebrew letter Lamed.

Haifa designer Hayim Shtayer shot this photo of a Star of David with the wordsMarry Christmas. I published already a few Stars of David ןn connection withChristmas, but they were all abroad. It is important that Israelis will understand that this emblem is important to other religions too.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Haifa designer Hayim Shtayer shot this photo of a black Star of David on a Kahane Movement sticker, and the sticker is part of his collection. The Hebrew words say: "Arab, don’t you dare to think about a Jewess". It is interesting to note that the bottom triangle is created from the wrist, and the right side of it must be completed by the viewer’s imagination.The successful design and the disgusting message remind me of the verse in proverbs 11:22: “like a gold ring in a pig's snout”.

Haifa designer Hayim Shtayer shot this photo of a colorful Star of David on a sticker of Good Will Ambassadors Organization, and the sticker is part of his collection. The Hebrew words say: "Don’t be a hooligan, represent us honorably abroad ". The word "hooligan" in Hebrew is similar to the word for "abroad" and the designer used this similarity to maximize the effect of his message. Interestingly the Star of David is made from six non-equilateral triangles and not from the known design of two equilateral triangles. These triangles also create a hexagonal frame in the center of the logo.

Haifa designer Hayim Shtayer shot this photo of a sticker against abortions, and the sticker is part of his collection. We see an embryo in a womb, which has the shape of a Star of David.

The Star of David is used frequently as a frame for “important things” like peace, Zion, Jerusalem. This specific design makes you think of every frame as a womb, or the other way round: of every womb as a frame.

Friday, December 28, 2007

Haifa designer Hayim Shtayer shot this photo of a Star of David on a, “I’m a Zionist” Armband. The shape of the Star is made from the Hebrew letters of the words “Ani Zioi” (I’m a Zionist). Using different Hebrew letters to build a Star of David is quite abundant, but, of course, foreigners might miss the point.Copyright: Hayim Shtayer 2007.

Haifa designer Hayim Shtayer shot this photo of a Star of Davidon a, “I’m a Zionist” Sticker. the shape of the Star is made from the Hebrew letters of the words Ani Zioi (I’m a Zionist) . Using different Hebrew letters to build a Star of David is quite abundant, but, of course, foreigners might miss the point.Copyright: Hayim Shtayer 2007.

Haifa designer Hayim Shtayer shot this photo of a red &green Star of David on a sticker of the Headquarter of the Youngsters of Emet Party. Red is the color of the party; green of the youngsters; Star of David represents statehood.Copyright: Hayim Shtayer 2007.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Haifa designer Hayim Shtayer shot this photo of many small blue Stars of David on a cover of a Chumus package , and it is part of his collection of interesting objects.In the center of this cover appears the Chamsa symbol, which frequently joins the Star of David as a protector against evil eye.

Haifa designer Hayim Shtayer shot this photo of a Star of David on a genuine hand-made Peace (Shalom) candle, and it is part of his collection of interesting objects.

The Star of David tends to appear with “important” inscriptions like “Zion”, “Israel”, “chai” (life) and they are placed usually inside the hexagonal frame which is surrounded by six triangles. The shape gives the word a special meaning and the word gives the shape a certain direction.Copyright: Hayim Shtayer 2007

Haifa designer Hayim Shtayer shot this photo of a Star of David on a vodka bottle, and it is part of his collection of interesting objects.What is the message here?Let’s drink a toast to Israel’s 60th birthday?Let’s drink to forget our Zionistic misdeeds?Let’s sell Zionistic vodka to the Russians?

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Haifa designer Hayim Shtayer shot this photo of a Star-of-David in a chanukiyah candleholder, and it is part of his collection of interesting objects.When the chanukiyah appears alone everybody knows it is Jewish.When the Star-of-David appears alone nobody knows to which religion it belongs, since it belongs to many religions.When the Star-of-David and the chanukiyah appear together it is definitely Jewish.Copyright: Hayim Shtayer 2007

Star of David (Cross and Crescent hiding in this view but can be seen on the same frame in reality) picture is courtesy of Shimon HameiriThe common denominator is the wall of Jerusalem, the difference is between the Religious Symbols – if they appear on the same hologram why can’t they live in harmony in reality?Size: 60X50copyright: Shimon Hameiri 2007

Monday, December 24, 2007

Rosicrucian Symbology is influenced by Kabbalah. The six-pointed star is an esoteric geometric symbol (there are also natural, phallic and astronomical/astrological symbols). Exoteric symbols are used in science. It represents the equilibrium of spirit and matter.

This is the peculiarly appropriate symbol of the Hebrew faith which for ages hasmaintained the existence of but ONE God perfectly expressed in both the physicaland material worlds. Continuing the process of development we enclose oursix-pointed star in the original sphere indicated by the circle…symbolizeharmony of the spirit that descended into matter and the Body now purified andarisen with Divinity or the Over-Soul.

Photo of yellow badge on the forehead of a wood sculpture bought in Nepal and painted in gold in Moti Argaman’s work titled: Who is a Jew?102 X 80.Trying to illustrate anti-Semitism.Copyright: Moti Argaman 2007.

Photo of half Star of David burnt in a wood Mezuzah is courtesy of Moti Argaman who was born in BeerSheba in 1958 , learned graphic design and traveled the world between 1981 and 1995, and lives now in Germany.Copyright: Moti Argaman 2007

Friday, December 21, 2007

Photo is courtesy of Ben Piven who published it on Flick. He wrote to me that he is in the last few months in India and this photo of Hindu Yantra painted in powder is from a Diwali he saw there. Diwali is an Indian and Nepalese lights festival where the lights signify victory of good over the evil within every human being.

Photo is courtesy of Ben Piven who shot it while he visited Israel and published it on Flick under the title Londonite Judean. I can hear the guy in this photo saying: The Magen David is:A. In my skinB. On my flagC. In my bloodD. In my soulReminds me of Rod Stewart’s:You're in my heart, you're in my soulYou'll be my breath should I grow oldYou are my lover, you're my best friendYou're in my soul

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Common knowledge is that Germans forced Jews during Third Reich period to wear the six- pointed stars. It seems hard to believe that Germans used this symbol for themselves – it may even seem a scoop, but Terry G. Jordan found out series of six-pointed stars in Texas German graveyards (and wrote about them in his book: Texas Graveyards: A Cultural Legacy, University of Texas Press, 1984 ISBN 0292780702 p. 111):

selected six pointed hex signs derived from rubbings of Texas German

gravestones… double sechsstern Drudenfuss, New Braunfels old town cemetery,

Comal county, 1874.

(see the photo on p. 90 – it looks exactly like the Jewish Star of David)

In p. 112 he wrote:

Among the Pennsylvania Germans the term Hexefiess also meaning “witch’s foot” is

preferred the six-pointed variety, or hexagram. Is also. Along with the compass

Shimon Hameiri found this Chanukiyah in the market in such a bad shape that the vendor gave it to him for free. He restored it and added it to the Western Wall in a Hologram, were it looks so vivid that spectators want to take it out and hold it in their handsCreation's name : "Holotrag – Star of David Chanukiyah.Size:35 x 45 cm

Monday, December 17, 2007

Maksim and Gabriel Shamir designed Natania Stamp in 1969. It shows Havazelet-Hasharon flower, which is probably another name to the rose of the valley, along with the Star of David . The rose and the Star of David appear together in many 1st century C.E. mosaics. So, from this special aspect, it looks like a continuation of a custom that was popular in the pre – exile era. In other words the message here for me is: we’re back!

In an exhibition on "the history of philately in Israel. Three symbols, three stages" That was held between 5 December 1997 and 1 February 1998 there were stamps depicting The crown, as an emblem of the British mandate, the Star of David, as the Jewishemblem, and The crescent, symbolizing Ottoman rule up to 1918.

Charlotte Halle wrote in Haartz on April 12, 2007 about stamp collector Lawrence Fisher from Ra'anana, Israel who collects stamps across the Arab world some carrying anti-Israel messages like an Iraqi stamp issued in 1983 commemorating the "Aftermath of the Zionist Racist Aggression on Sabra and Shattela," depicting blood dripping from the Star of David and a fist with blood coming out of the ground…

Photo is courtesy of dM.nyc who published it on Flickr and who shot it inside the lobby of the James Farley Post Office in New York City. I can tell you that my post office in Jerusalem doesn't have such a luxurious ornamentation, maybe it takes 200 years since your first Independence Day, and maybe we don't like decorations...

Photo of Star of David in the emblem of Shurat Hamaginim (Palmach secret organization in Cyprus camps) is courtesy of Dita Perach From the Palmach Association and it is copied from the beautiful (Hebrew only) Palmach website

From designer Hayim Shtayer's important collection of Jewish New Year Cards. We see Stars of David on the Pre-Israeli flag and on the dress of the Daughter of Zion, on the background of the new city - Tel Aviv. The words on top are written in Yidish: panoramic view of Tel Aviv.

About Me

I Published 5 books: Star of David Album [English]; Star of David Black and White [Hebrew]; Yellow Badge Album [Hebrew] Thing's Name [Hebrew], I am Such a Brazilian Woman [Hebrew, Iton 77] with co-author Iara Czeresnia. I work a full time job as a blogger. I Initiated several art shows about the Star of David, about the yellow star and about the Old Testament